April 3, 2020 · 0 Comments
NEXT WEEK will be Holy Week on the Christian calendar, and for once churches will be empty. But thanks to modern technology, some local congregations will be able to enjoy virtual services.
At least four Orangeville churches and one in Shelburne have Facebook pages or podcasts where some form of prayer services will be available.
St. Mark’s Anglican Church held its first such service on March 22, with Archdeacon Peter Scott being assisted by Rev. Richard Beaudoin, the parish deacon.
That first attempt was remarkably successful, with 33 viewers that day and a lot more taking advantage of the ability to stream the 20-minute service later in the week.
Last Sunday, St. Mark’s was also the place chosen by Bishop Susan Bell of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara to give her weekly sermon and prayer service. Although it encountered some technical problems, the live-streaming finally got under way Sunday afternoon, with Archdeacon Scott assisting.
Similar means of keeping in touch with their congregations have been taking place at Shelburne’s Trinity United Church and Orangeville’s Westminster United, Broadway Pentecostal and The Well, and we suspect that by Easter Sunday all those congregations will be treated to both the words and music marking Christianity’s holiest day.